Remembering Ryan

All parents love to brag about their children and I’m no different. Ryan was a gorgeous, intelligent and spirited boy. I lost count of the times I was told that Ryan was an old man in a child’s body, and that “he’s been here before”.

He was extremely engaging, and his ability to converse with people of all ages never ceased to amaze me. The elderly, in particular, were enamoured with Ryan. He had a wonderful sense of humour, but was also a very sensitive child. Ryan was highly academic, and I remember his Year 2 teacher wanting to have him tested for the gifted and talented program. At the age of three, Ryan started Little Athletics, tried tennis for two years, and then Nippers. But he finally found his niche in karate, AFL and playing the violin. What a combination! We had a very special bond, as it was only ever just the two of us.

On 19 December 2006, I received a call from school, to say that Ryan had collapsed. I thought he may have hit his head, or had a virus. I wasn’t prepared for the news that lay ahead. The next 17 months in hospital proved to be a very difficult time for us both. Ryan had to undergo a very intense treatment protocol that he’d be lucky to survive.

His personality changed to one of sarcasm and cynicism beyond his years, and I understood that this was his way of coping with a life forever changed. But the hardest thing for me was the emotional issues.  We could deal with any physical pain through medication, but how do you support a child who sees themselves in the mirror one day, and tells you “I’m ugly”? Ryan’s physical appearance changed due to his brain tumour and medication. His emotional and mental pain caused me an anguish that no mother should ever feel. I could only repeat over and over how gorgeous he was … and he was!

Of course, the Clown Doctors were there to ease that load.  We developed a very special bond with a few of these wonderful people, and they always had to be ready with a fart or bum joke (his favourite). They had to improvise very quickly in response to things Ryan would say, which sometimes were not entirely appropriate for a children’s hospital.

After many months of fighting his cancer, Ryan lost his battle, a few weeks before his tenth birthday. He tried, but on Easter Saturday 2008, he said goodbye and told me was too tired to fight anymore. He survived another two more months before going to sleep forever.

I guess I was lucky, because in that two months Ryan tried to live the next 15 years of his life. He would wake me at 3am to talk about various subjects, and in particular, about the girl he wanted to marry. His maturity astounded me and, for the remainder of his life, he courted this girl through visits, letters, cards and gifts.

The Clown Doctors are a wonderful inspiration to us all, and please, let’s not forget those in the Foundation who work tirelessly behind the scenes…the administration staff. The Clown Doctors truly are caring, compassionate and dedicated to making the lives of sick children a little easier to bear.  Thank you for being in our lives. Love you forever Ryan.

Lisa D’Annibale

“I made two visits to Ryan at Bear Cottage before he passed away. His mum Lisa and Ryan’s grandmother were grateful that I came to see them. Both visits were incredibly sad but beautiful to share with the family and some of Ryan’s school friends, whom I later caught up with at his funeral.”

Dr Quack

Lisa D’Annibale decided to arrange a Family Fun Day in Ryan’s memory, as a tribute to her son Ryan and to support the Clown Doctors that cheered them up.

Lisa organised a venue in Warnervale (Central Coast NSW), secured donations from local businesses, market stallholders and other companies, organised children’s activities, food vendors, musical acts, professional performers, media releases in newspapers, radio interviews and the list goes on. What Lisa didn’t get is not worth knowing about!

In May 2009, without any history of organising this kind of event, this determined, wonderful lady achieved success. It was an action-packed day that was filled with fun and laughter. Everyone had a fantastic time and also enjoyed the company of our much-loved Dr Quack! Ryan would have been so proud of his mum. You have done a wonderful job for Ryan and the Clown Doctor cause. Good on ya’ Lisa.

Lisa managed to raise the unbelievable amount of almost $9,000 and money is still coming in. This is a fantastic achievement and we can’t thank you enough. We are all thrilled with how much this will help our Clown Doctors™ program in these tough times.

Lisa has been an inspiration to us, seeing how utterly determined a mother can be to ensure her son is remembered and how her love for him will continue to make other sick children smile. Thank you Lisa, you are amazing.

Alison Glover, Fundraising Officer

Thank You From Jayden